Billed as "the world's only submarium",[4] the tanks contain thousands of sea creatures (including seven species of shark), 2,500,000 litres (550,000 imp gal; 660,000 US gal) of water and 87 tonnes (96 tons) of salt housed in a building designed by Sir Terry Farrell and built as part of the UK National Lottery's Millennium Commission project.

The Deep is also a centre for marine research. Staff marine biologists look after the animals in The Deep's collection as well as carrying out research into the marine environment.

The Deep is a charitable public aquarium dedicated to increasing people's enjoyment and understanding of the world's oceans.[5]

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Situated at the confluence of two rivers, Sammy's Point has a history going back at least to the 16th century, when Hull Castle was built on part of the site. Parts of this were made into a new fortification (The Citadel) in 1681. When the Victoria Dock was built in 1850, mud that was dug up for the dock was used to extend the foreshore and create the land that now holds The Deep. Sammy's Point was named for Martin Samuelson, who built a shipyard there in 1857. The land was bought by a succession of owners, all in the ship business, and was then used by the Humber Conservancy as a buoy depot, but was abandoned in the 1980s.[6]

About half of the financing for the aquarium was from the Millennium Commission, with the rest of the £52.285 million for initial construction coming from various other sources. Operational funding is from membership, ticket, and retail sales.[7] The building was designed by Sir Terry Farrell, and constructed by Mero-Schmidlin (UK) PLC: it took 17 months to build and was finished in 2001.[8]

The aquarium opened to the public in 2002. Over three million people have visited the facility since its opening.[1]

In 2013, the aquarium was voted the best family place to visit in Hull.[9]

The draw for the Third Round Proper of the FA Cup took place on 8 December 2014 at The Deep and broadcast live on BBC Two.[10]

The aquarium uses a combination of hands-on interactive displays, audiovisual presentations, and living exhibits to tell the story of the world's oceans. The museum includes a series of exhibits presenting a chronological journey from the beginning of time through the present day oceans. There is also an interactive area where visitors can learn to control an underwater diving vessel.

Aquaria exhibits include the Tropical Lagoon of Light, teeming with brightly coloured tropical fish and rays, a 10-metre (33 ft) deep Endless Oceans exhibit containing 2,500,000 litres (550,000 imp gal; 660,000 US gal) of water, Europe's deepest viewing tunnel, at 9-metre (30 ft) and a glass lift through the tank.[8] The tank is home to sharks, rays and northern Europe's only pair of green sawfish along with many other fish. The sharks and rays are fed by divers in a daily show. Other marine life on display include fish that glow in the dark, coral, turtles, jellyfish, frogs, penguins, an Amazon flooded forest and many species of bugs and insects.

The aquarium's education programme hosts 30,000 primary and secondary school students each year. Some of the themes covered in these programmes include food chains, caring for the marine environment, predator-prey relationships, adaptations, and habitats.[11] The Deep also hosts a variety of special events during the year.[12]